Leonard Hamilton remains mum on his Florida State future

TALLAHASSEE — To say Leonard Hamilton looked comfortable Tuesday afternoon in his garnet-colored Florida State warm-up jacket and pants could be considered an understatement.

He looked about as cozy and snug in the outfit as he has all year.

Perhaps the contentment scribbled upon his countenance had to do with the fact that with his season now done, the long hidden, hardly visible stress that the coach most certainly bottles up during the 35-, 40-game year, has reason to be even less detectable. Without gameplans to draw up and pre-game film to breakdown, he has more time to calmly go about his other managerial duties.

Or, maybe his easygoing façade was a sign that he likes where he currently is and is confident he won't be leaving anytime soon.

Offering an end-of-season interview session with reporters at FSU's basketball training center, Hamilton spoke publicly for the first time since his name began surfacing in news reports linking him to coaching vacancies and contract extensions. As has been his stance since the reports began trickling out, Hamilton on Tuesday remained rather mum on what he often calls "personal matters."

"I'm not one to discuss things until I have something to discuss," Hamilton said.

Right now, the only thing he believes he can discuss is his current team and the direction it appears to be headed following an ACC Tournament championship and school-record fourth-straight NCAA Tournament berth this past season.

"It's hard for me to sit here and say that I think we'll be ACC Tournament champs again," Hamilton said. "But I like the group and what their individual talents bring to our team. I like the versatility of these guys."

FSU's latest season ended two Sundays ago, with a Round of 32 loss to Cincinnati in the Nashville bracket of the NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles (25-10) finished the year with a No. 10 Associated Press Top 25 Poll ranking, and multiple banner wins over yearly conference powers Duke and North Carolina.

As a result of the team's success, Hamilton even was named ACC Coach of the Year.

According to a report last week from the Chicago Tribune, Hamilton was eyeing the chance at one day becoming the Big Ten Coach of the Year. The Tribune reported, according to unnamed sources, that Hamilton was "lobbying hard" for the job at Illinois that came open with the March 9 firing of Bruce Weber.

Once VCU's Shaka Smart turned down the Illini, the heat stepped up on Hamilton, as rumors developed suggesting he really was interested in the job.

Hamilton said Tuesday that he had not applied for any jobs, nor expressed interest in any. Last week, FSU athletics director Randy Spetman, through a school spokesman, told the Orlando Sentinel that members of his department had not received phone calls from Illinois inquiring about Hamilton. Spetman declined further comment on the matter. The AP later reported a story, citing an unnamed source, that said FSU was working on extending Hamilton's contract.

The 63-year-old makes approximately $1.5 million per year on a five-year contract that is set to expire in April 2014. Reports indicated Illinois was hoping to offer Smart a figure in the ballpark of $3 million annually.

Thanks to the Seminoles' conference tournament championship, end-of-year ranking and other accolades, Hamilton this season earned $175,000 in performance bonuses.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Illini still had a coaching vacancy. Reports earlier in the day began saying Ohio coach John Groce was set to fill it.

"Every year, when you have a certain level of success, your name comes up," said Hamilton, who is no stranger to coaching change rumors. Several seasons ago, his name was linked to an opening at Memphis. He avoided commenting on that matter, too.

One reason for the chatter about Hamilton: a perception that FSU has inadequate basketball facilities.

Playing in a multi-purpose city arena built in 1978, the Seminoles don't have one of the most aesthetically pleasing venues in the ACC. School president Eric Barron apparently is aware of that, telling Warchant.com last week that he believed upgrades and meaningful changes were necessary to make the venue better for the team and its fans.

Hamilton is glad to see Barron discussing venue enhancements.

"I can't tell you how excited I am about what appears to be an all-out effort by the president to come up with an approach with how to help improve the facility that we play in," Hamilton said. "I've been so impressed with his clear understanding with how important it is and what appears to be a total commitment in being supportive in what he sees is a much-needed area of improvement."

Having to compete with the likes of Duke, North Carolina and resurgent Virginia and North Carolina State programs, Hamilton believes the Seminoles have to be as competitive as possible in order to prove their ACC title wasn't a fluke. With Pittsburgh and Syracuse set to enter the conference in the next few seasons, that challenge will get even harder.

What can help the Seminoles keep pace? Getting FSU's facilities up to par can, he said.

"They've done everything possible at those schools (Syracuse and Pittsburgh) to make sure that they're able to maintain that," Hamilton said. "And they're coming in with programs that have already made tremendous commitments to facilities and whatever else they felt they needed to make sure they maintained pace with the basketball world."